King Cotton Crawfish Boil

This Saturday, April 26, is the King Cotton Crawfish Boil! This event will take place downtown in the Cotton District. The Crawfish Boil will reach the ending point for the 2014 Savor Our South Series! The King Cotton Crawfish Boil will be along Maxwell Street and Page Avenue in the historic downtown Cotton District beginning at 11 a.m until 2 p.m.

This is a new event coming to Starkville and promises fun for the entire family! There will be more crawfish than you can eat along with corn and potatoes with unlimited beer and beverages! What better way to spend a Saturday? Along with crawfish, corn and potatoes from the Little Dooey and beverages from Clark Beverage Company, there will also be some entertaiment! Live music will be provided by Hardland Chuck & The Rev. This is a great event for adults and children, so bring out the entire family or have a day out with friends! 

Tickets will only be available in advance and are required for admission. The ticket will include a 5lb bucket of crawfish, corn, potatoes, and unlimited beer and beverages. For adults, tickets are $30! But, the children have not been forgotten! Children under 12 get in for free and can also enjoy the Kids Village that will include inflatable jumpers!

Along with Little Dooey's and Clark Beverage Company, other food vendors will include STAGgerIN Sports Grill, Sweet Peppers Deli-University, and the Bin 612. 

You can buy tickets online at visit.starkville.org or at the Starkville Partnership office at 200 Main Street. 

The sponsors for the King Cotton Crawfish Boil are Little Dooey, Clark Beverage Company, and The Cotton District Apartment Rentals. 

Image is provided through visit.starkville.org!

The Cotton District Arts Festival

This weekend is the annual Cotton District Arts Festival that is held every year in April! This Saturday, April 12, will kick off the 2014 Cotton District Arts Festival and Taste of Starkville! This will be a fun-filled day full of events! The CDAF is presented by the Starkville Area Arts Council and is held in the downtown Historic Cotton District on University Drive. 

With fine arts and crafts, the CDAF will host over 125 artisans, so there will be something for everybody! You can find art, music, and food all showcased throughout the day! Along with art and music, there will also be a 5K, pet parade, and much more! Saturday will start off at 7 a.m. with a 5k registration and events will go on until the evening.

This will be a spring event that you do not want to miss! The Cotton District Arts Festival was named one of the top 5 festivals in Mississippi for 2012 and 2013 in Mississippi Magazine. 

There will also be the traditional CDAF merchandise of posters, tees, tanks and hats which you can purchase at various booths throughout the entire event. From all of the great sponsors for the Cotton District Arts Festival this is sure to be a great event!!

For more information on sponsors, event details, maps and more visit the official page of the Cotton District Arts Festival!
 
The image was provided through CDFA. It is the official poster of the 2014 Cotton District Arts Festival. The design is by Dominique Pugh.

Panhellenic Philanthropy

We all see the great things that sororities are doing around campus and throughout Starkville. But, many of us do not know what they are putting all this hard work towards! This large group of ladies are very important throughout the campus of Mississippi State University and are very involved throughout their sororities and in other various organizations on campus. Each one of these sororities is recognized on a national level and show leadership throughout Mississippi. By each one of these ladies being involved in their sororities, they are active participants in community service and philanthropy events.

Each of these sororities is part of the great Panhellenic group here at MSU and are all involved in a great cause throughout their organization. Each one supports a Philanthropy and raises money, donates their time, and works hard to help out each one of these philanthropy organizations. It is such a great bond of sisters that we see, but let us take the time to find out a little more about these different groups of ladies!

Lets just start from A and go to Z! Starting with Alpha Delta Pi, which is the most recent Panhellenic sorority on campus, they support the Ronald McDonald House Charities. This RMHC supports Ronald McDonald House, Care Mobiles, and Ronald McDonald Family Rooms! They have been supporting RMHC since 1979.

Next on the list is Chi Omega, who supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Since the beginning of their alliance, Chi Omega has shown support through volunteering, time, and donations. Delta Delta Delta sorority officially adopted St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in 1999. Since then they have worked together to make sure that children get the best care possible! Delta Gamma's national philanthropy is working with Service for Sight. They look to improve vision globally. One of the ways that Delta Gamma works to raise awareness about Service for Sight is through their Anchor Week that they hold each year.

The Kappa Delta sorority at MSU supports the Girl Scouts of America and Prevent Child Abuse America. They hold Shamrock Events to help gain support towards their cause. Much of the money that they raise at these events is kept around the area to help prevent child abuse.

Phi Mu works with the Children's Miracle Network Hospital. The Kappa Alpha chapter of Phi Mu here at MSU supports the LeBonheur Children's Medical Center in Memphis Tenn. Pi Beta Phi has an annual Arrow Week where they raise money and awareness towards their philanthropy. They recently worked with Ward-Stewart, an elementary school here in Starkville, by volunteering every week. They called it the CAR Program, and two to three volunteers went every week to the elementary school!

Last, but not least, is Zeta Tau Alpha. Locally and nationally, they work with Breast Cancer Education and Awareness. Every October they hold their Think Pink week that helps raise support for this great philanthropy! They hope that through the support they give this organization they are helping early detection and awareness of breast cancer! 

A BBQ Duel

It's that time of year again when the temperatures start getting hotter and the days a little longer, which means it is also time for a great BBQ! March 14th and 15th will the the Link Centre's 4th Annual Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel. It will be a Kansas City Barbeque Society Sanctioned Competition at the Fairpark in Downtown Tupelo!

With most of us ending the week of Spring Break, what better way is there to keep enjoying the weekend? Along with different teams competing there will also be much more going on, so do not worry, this is an event for the entire family! Friday there will be music starting at 10:30 a.m. all the way to 10 p.m. that evening. More music will also be in the works for Saturday! So that is something for you to add to your agenda for this event!

This event will have over 90 different teams competing for the grand prize, so you can definitely get your BBQ fix! Throughout this event there will be competitions for brisket, wings, salsa, shrimp, and much more! There will be over $15,000 in cash prizes with the grand champion taking home $3,000! 

Make sure to mark your calenders, this will be fun event for the whole family! 

For more information about the event, sponsors, and teams visit tupelobbqduel.com or call 662.372.2208!

Valentine's Day: Your guide to the perfect date

Valentine's Day can always seem like a stressful time of year, for some it may be even more stressful than Christmas! You are having to plan the perfect date. There's flowers, chocolates, dinner, and maybe even a movie. But, what if it is down to the wire and you still do not have the perfect date planned out? No worries, here are a few last minute helpful tips to help you on your way the the perfect Valentine's Day!

1. The gift. What do you do if its now last minute and you don't have the time or money to buy something? Make something! We are sure that your special someone will love a gift with a personal touch!

2. The date. Trying to make a last minute reservation? Odds are that most resturants are now booked from people who already made a reservation. So, you can turn your Valentine's evening into trying that new recipe you have been wanting to cook! Make something special for your date, they'll be sure to love it. 


P.S. Don't forget the dessert! Play a game of seeing which flavors you each like out of a box of chocolates or have an ice cream dessert bar where you can each make sure you get what you like best!

3. The outfit. No time to go shopping for the perfect Valentine's Day outfit? No worries, mix and match something that you already have! Change it up a bit by adding layers, mixing patterns, or playing up your jewelry. We are sure that anything you put together that your date is sure to love!

Baseball Season:Opening Day

For us baseball lovers, opening weekend is quickly approaching! The first game for our MSU Baseball team is next Friday, February 14, at the Dudy Noble Feild. The weekend will kick off with a game starting at 4 p.m. against Hofstra. There will also be two games on Saturday and one on Sunday, so it will be a fun filled weekend full of baseball! 

After such an amazing season the past year and with our baseball team returning from Omaha, this season is definitely going to be exciting! Adam Weaver, a junior at Mississippi State, said that he is extremely excited about the upcoming season. "There are lots of expectations to make it back to the College World Series and a possible win at it this year, and I am most looking forward to the great atmosphere at Dudy Noble and traditions like Left Feild Lounge," said Weaver. 

With the home field advantage this opening season we need to pack the house! Fans, alumni, students, and those alike make sure to come out and support your Bulldogs!

It might also be a small coincidence that the first game of the season is also on Valentine's Day! What better way to plan a date then coming out to Dudy Noble Feild!

For more information about this upcoming season and tickets, visit the official site of MSU Sports Teams.

Savor our South

Throughout this Spring you can attend many events of the Savor Our South Series that is going on right here in Starkville! This will be a different type of Pilgrimage for Mississippi's College Town. The Savor the South series will feature things like art, drama, film, and culinary. There will also be a ton going on with MSU Baseball at Dudy Noble Field!

Throughout the Savor Our South Series, there will be seven fun filled weekends of events! Starting in early February the events will start out with a bang!
For more information on the Savor Our South Series, go to www.visit.starkville.org!

Back Stage Pass

Wondering what's happening on your Main Street this weekend? With Starkville's Main Street being one of the oldest and most historic Main Streets in Mississippi, we always find different ways to showcase that. January 23 and 24 Starkville will be hosting Back Stage Pass. This is an annual festival and events hosted by the Mississippi Main Street Association, Mississippi Development Authority, and the Mississippi Arts Commission.

This years theme is "Celebrating our Creative Economy". Events started on Wednesday and are carrying on for the next few days. The main goal of this Back Stage Pass is to teach community planners how festivals and events should contribute to a creative economy. Those in attendance for this events can take part in sessions, a reception, artist showcases, and networking throughout downtown Starkville. 

Back Stage Pass is being hosted at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Fashion Week Mississippi

It is always such an exciting time to start off a New Year, and what better way than to experience the excitement of the runway this January right here in Mississippi! For fashion lovers, this is the perfect thing for you. From January 30-February 5, 2014 Fashion Week Mississippi is coming to Meridian. This will be a fashion filled seven days with things like designers, models, makeup, stylists and so much more! 

Designers from Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas will be showing off their collections during this anticipated event. Along with the runway shows and Fashion Expos, more events like Beauty Brunch, Workshops and Seminars, The Glamor Gala and much more are planned!

Fashion Week Mississippi , founded in 2011 by Monique Pruitt, a Meridian native, created this as a way to find designers and talent throughout Mississippi. For the Magnolia State, it gives designers in Mississippi a great opportunity!

Make sure to mark your calenders for this January. What better way to experience fashion week then right here in the state! No flying cost or traveling worries, just a fun filled weekend of fashion right here at home!

For more information contact Monique Pruitt at fashionweekms@gmail.com, thepruittagency@gmail.com, or call 601.277.0567

The Battle for the Golden Egg

With a tradition here at Mississippi State that runs as deep as the Cowbell, MSU fans are ecstatic about hosting this years Egg Bowl against the University of Mississippi. But, where did the "Battle for the Golden Egg" begin? In 1926 the University of Mississippi and Mississippi A&M College, later changed to Mississippi State University, played each other at the Ole Miss football stadium. Fans from both schools were cheering on their teams, but students from Ole Miss were expecting a loss that year, which actually resulted in their team winning. Upset and cheering fans went into a frenzy over the loss of MSU and the win for Ole Miss. Fans stormed the field and went into an uproar, which resulted in players and fans getting injured. So as a way to find peace, the Golden Egg trophy was presented. It was an agreement from both student bodies that a game would not result in outraged chaos again. The teams played each other for a few more years, but it was not until 1991, that the Egg Bowl would become a significant game for the two teams. That year Mississippi State hosted Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg, the first time they had played each other since 1972, and since then the Egg Bowl trophy remains with the winning team and each team rotates hosting the other year after year. 

But this year, Mississippi State is looking to win back the Egg Bowl trophy and bring it back home to Starkville. This years big game is held on Thanksgiving Day for the first time since 2003. So what does this mean for the Bulldog family and football team at Mississippi State? It means we want to bring home a victory and to be the host for the Egg Bowl trophy until another game in 2014.

This years game ball was even ran all the way from Oxford to Starkville by the ROTC of Ole Miss and Mississippi State, it was passed off Monday afternoon in Calhoun City, and has now reached Starkville. What an amazing event to kick-start such an exciting week for both schools! The photo was posted on HAIL STATE's Instagram page, along with updates of where the ROTC and ball were throughout the day.
                                                
The Egg Bowl is always one of the coldest games of the year, but its one that no one wants to miss. With such a strong tradition for both schools, the 2013 Egg Bowl will be an exciting one for sure! 

Here at Town and Gown we hope that you enjoy this week of Thanksgiving and get out on Thursday to cheer on your favorite team!

Prepping for the Holidays

The Holidays are getting closer and here at Town and Gown and we could not be more excited! But, are you sure that you are ready? With a time filled with family and friends, you want to make sure that you have everything prepared and avoid the stress! 

Thursday night, November 21, R. Tabb and Co. is having a Holiday Cocktail Open House. Ladies, you will be sure to find great gifts along with cute ideas on what to wear for the holidays! Be sure to stop by from 5-7 p.m. and find the next best gift to put under your Christmas tree! For our women from Louisville make sure to check out Ladies Night Out this Thursday on Main Street! So much shopping to be done! There will be so much to find for the best present ideas. Need a holiday gift exchange present, Christmas party present or just to find a gift for your best friend? Thursday night is the perfect opportunity for just that!

Saturday is also a big day here in Starkville and the surrounding areas! Saturday morning will kick off with the Turkey Trot 5K and 10K hosted by MSU Recreational Sports! Don't let the holidays get the best of your fitness, get out this Saturday and trot for a cause! They are also collecting can goods!

It will also be a fun filled day in Columbus! Be sure to stop by for the Columbus Holiday Farmers Market. There will be local produce, live music, and much more! If you are wanting to have something a little different on your table this Thanksgiving, the farmers market may have just that! Get out and see what you can find.

With so much going on it is the perfect time to get out with family and friends and enjoy all of these fun events that lead up to the holidays. Only one more week until Thanksgiving, and so many things to do! Make sure that you get out and go to some of these fun things! Bring the kids and the family, its a great time for everyone to be together. 

What's Happening

Another weekend has approached us, and what an exciting one that it will be! Football fans, fashionistas, and all the Bulldogs here in Starkville, this will be a fun filled weekend! So much is going on that it is going to be hard to pick which event to attend. The weekend is kicking off with a Mississippi State Football game right here at home at Davis Wade Stadium. This Saturday our football team will be hosting a game against Alabama. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. so make sure you are there for one of the biggest games this season! Make sure that you do not miss out as the Tide comes right here to Starkville! 

Sunday is the Christmas Open House where merchants around Starkville are going to displays their must have gifts for Christmas along with the newest things on trend this season. Also, make sure not to miss out on Bulldog Brunch and Browse on Sunday that is held after every home game. Get some great food while enjoying an afternoon out shopping!

With the chilly weather approaching us, make sure that you stay warm during this fun filled weekend! Get ready for the holidays and make sure to get out this weekend and enjoy some shopping and browsing around Starkville!

For more information for this weekends events, go to visit.starkville.org!

Music For Our Ears

So much has been going on here at Town and Gown! Last week was such a busy week as we hosted a Fashion Thriller show with MSU Fashion Board. The turn out was great! With the latest fashions coming down the runway, it was hard not to find something that we all want to rush out and get from our great vendors and advertisers! If you missed the show, make sure to check out some awesome pictures from backstage and more at MSU Fashion Boards Facebook page!

This week is not slowing down either! With November getting all of us excited for the the Holidays and in the spirit for celebrations and family, we forget about fun things going on right here in Starkville! Tonight, November 5, the MSU Library is hosting America's Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway. It will be from 7-9p.m. and will also be held again on the 12th! Afterwards will be a discussion of 20th century American popular music. This a great thing to go and see since we are in the home state of America's music!!

The Mississippi State University Lyceum Series is also presenting its Portland Cello Project. It is tonight in the Bettersworth Auditorium at Lee Hall starting at 7:30 p.m. It is going to be an extravagant performance so do not miss out!

For all of the things going on this week, it is hard to stay on track, but these are some great events to be apart of. Especially for music lovers, this weeks events are perfect just for you! 


For photos of the fashion show, visit Fashion Boards Facebook page. For more information about events for this week and throughout November, make sure to pick up Town and Gown's November issue!

October Fun

It is finally the weekend again and there is so many exciting things going on throughout Starkville the next few days! To kick-start this weekend, tonight MSU is playing the University of Kentucky! This should be a fun game and another exciting weekend in the Junction for the Bulldogs!

Friday night, October 25, is Pumpkinpalooza. This is the annual event on Main Street for families to enjoy! Kids of all ages can enjoy trick-or-treating, face painting, a pumpkin decorating contest, inflatable jumpers, and more! There will even be a pep rally featuring MSU pom squad and cheerleaders! While enjoying this event, make sure that you do not miss out on the shopping up and down Main Street! The vendors have the latest fall fashion along with some of the cutest gifts around. Enjoy the downtown shopping and dining as you are out this Friday night with your family and kids!

For those of us that are looking for something fun to do on Saturday, there will be the FunTober Autumn Festival at the Mathiston Town Park from 8a.m-5p.m. This is a fun event for a families to get out and enjoy this lovely fall weather. There will be lots of fun, family filled activites, live music, and local artisans selling merchandise!

Sunday is Bulldog Brunch and Browse in Downtown Starkville from noon-3p.m. Restaurant's and businesses will be open for family and friends to eat and shop after the game day weekend!

This coming up weekend is full of fall fun and great events. Make sure that you do not miss out on any of this! With the Halloween week quickly approaching, this is a great way to jump start fun for the entire family!

For more information on some of the events this weekend go to visit.starkville.org!

The Black and Orange Ball

The 12th Annual Starkville Business After Hours Black and Orange Ball is tonight! It will be at Buffalo Wild Wings from 5:30-7 p.m. This is a great event for all of our businesses in Starkville to get out for a fun night!

But, make sure that you show up wearing your best black and orange, even costumes are welcomed. Those dressed the best will be eligible for a grand prize! This is the perfect time of year to make sure you dress your best for this ball, so even check out all of the local stores to find the your perfect outfit!

Immediately following this event will be the Dawg Talk with Dan Mullen, which begins at 7! So Buffalo Wild Wings has a fun night ahead for everyone!

 Get out your best black and orange and do not miss out on this event!

Buffalo Wild Wings is located at 703 Spring Street right next to Chick-fil-A!